Curtain.



Nu. 7|6,2oa. Patented nec. I6, |902.

E. H. DUCHEMIN.

C U R TAI N.

(Application med Dec. 2, i901.)

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No. 716,208.7 Patented Dec. I6, |902. E. H. DUCHEMIN. CURTAIN.

(Application mamme. 2, 1901 (No Model.)

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NTTEE STATES nPATENT EEICE.

EDMUND H. DUCHEMIN, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CURTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. l716,208, datedDecember 16, 1902.

Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial No. 84,354. (No model.)

To` all `whom it may concern:

Beit known thatI, -EDMUND `Il. DUCHEMIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Curtains; and I do hereby.declarethefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification;

.This invention particularly relates' to curtains for open street-cars, althoughit will be obvious that the invention can be applied to any kind or nature of curtain where its features render it desirable or useful.

Heretofore in open street-cars considerable difficulty has been experienced `in keeping the curtains when drawn sufficiently in place to prevent the entrance at their edges of wind and rain to such an extent as to cause great discomfort.

The objects of the present invention are to provide `acurtain which can be held securely in place between the side posts or vjamlos at its lateral edges, to at the same time permit the curtain to be freely rolled up and down in the usual manner,` to prevent the entrance of wind or rain at the edges of the curtain, to

, secure a simple and cheap construction, and

` line Fig. l.

to obtain other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts. l i l The invention consists in the improved curtain and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will behereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure l is aninside view in elevation of a curtain of my improved construction mounted in operative position. Fig. 2,is an outside view of the lower part of the curtain, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a section on Fig. `is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of an edge portion of the curtain strips longitudinally thereto.

tain and showing a method of attaching cer- Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a runway for said strips on the curtain edges. Fig. 6 is a side view of a portion or corner of the curtain, on a larger scale; and Figs. 7 and S are sections of the same on lines y and y', respectively. Fig. 9 isa View similar toFig. 7 with the sliding parts in diderent position. Fig. 10 is a vertical section of the curtain as on line no', Fig. l, looking toward the side post or jamb; and Fig. 1l is a cross-section as on line e, Fig. 10.

In said drawings, 2 2 indicate the opposite side posts of a car or the like, the space between Which is desired to be provided witha curtainf. Said curtain is mounted upon a roller 4t, journaled between the side posts 2 2 at the top of the open space intended to be closed by the curtain, as is usual. To the lateral edges of said curtain, which may be of canvas or any other fabric commonly employed, I apply longitudinally-disposed strips of flexible sheet metal,and the edges of the curtain thus supplied with such strips are adapted to lie in grooves or runs at the inwardly-facing sides of the posts 2 2, the said runs holding the edges of the curtain by means of the said strips against escape away from the posts, while permittingfree sliding of the curtain up and down. The metal strip 5 applied to any curtain edge is preferably laid flatwise upon the margin of the curtain with its outer edge even with the outer edge of the curtainy and is then secured to the curtain fabric along a line near said outer edge, as shown in Fig. 4., the inner edge being left free. Preferably this fastening is effected by means of integral spurs or tongues 51, adapted to be clenched through the fabric; but sewing or any other suitable means may beemployed. The edge of the curtain thus provided with the strip 5 extends laterally into a groove 6, preferably formed in the side of the post 2 and extending upward above the roller 4 and being suitably widened at its upper portion, as at 6l, to receive said roller. For the lower uniform portion of said groove a sheet-metal run or slide way 7 is seated therein., forming a lining therefor and having one edge, as 8, bent to overlap outwardly against the side of the post 2 and be fastened thereto by tacks, screws, or the like. The other edge of the -IOO metal forming the run is turned inwardly and extends back into the groove approximately midway between its two sides, as at 9, terminating considerably short of the bottom wall of the groove in a doubled or folded edge 91,

-which avoids a sharp edge. As the edge of the curtain lies in the runway 7, itis adapted to receive between the fabric and free edge of the metal strip 5 the said returned inwardly-projecting portion 9 of the runway, the line of joining of the strip 5 and curtain fabric lying in beyond said portion 9. The metal strip 5 of the curtain is thus hooked to the fixed runway, whereby any displacement of the curtain edges with respect to the post 2 is positively prevented, while free normal action of the curtain is not interfered with. At the upper end of the sheet-metal run or slide way the sides of the same are flared or curved outward slightly, as at 10 10, and buried in the wooden walls of the groove 6, so as to preclude any possibility of corners on which the curtain fabric can catch as it enters the run. To at the same time bring the curtain edge into alinement with the middle portion 9 of the run, a guide-wheel 11 may be pivoted directly above said middle portion and in the same plane and which enters between the strip 5 and curtain fabric, as does the said middle portion.

Across the bottoms of curtains it is customary to applya rigid bar 12, of metal or the like, and since the distance between the side posts 2 2 may at the bottom of the curtainspace differ slightly from the corresponding distance at the top it is desirable in my invention to provide an adjustable connection, if any, of the lower ends of the metal strips 5 to the bottom bar 12. To this end I form on the end portions of the bar 12 slideways 13, in which adjustable end sections 14 have a limited movement, and the end of the strip 5 is secured thereto at its outer edge, ablock 15 lying between to hold the inner edge away from the section 14. An outer piece 16 may be laid upon the end of the strip thus fastened to secure greater stiffness atthat point. The lower end of the curtain 3 is fastened to said bottom bar 12, preferably at its upper margin, by a clamping-cleat 23 in any ordinary manner.

If desired, the metal strip 5 may constitute a coiled spring, as shown in Fig. 10, made of sufficient power to coil itself automatically as the curtain is pushed up by hand. At the same time the frictional engagement of the strips with the guide-grooves at the sides of the curtain will suffice to hold the curtain wherever left against any tendency of such a strip to draw it upward. This construction dispenses with the usual spring-roller, as well as guiding the edges of the curtain, or, if preferred, a spring-roller of any common form or style may be used, the Istrips 5 in this case being merely iiexible latwise, so as to roll up. In either case the bottom bar l2 is preferably provided with suitable means for holding the curtain at any desired point. I have shown for this purpose bell-crank levers 18, each fulcrumed at its angle on one of the slides 14 to swing in a plane parallel thereto and having one arm extending upward adjacent to the edge of the curtain and the other extending inward along the slide 14. Said upwardly-extending arm carries at its outer side or edge next the edge of the curtain a rubber brake 17, adapted to engage the adjacent side post d of the car,and which is normally pressed thereagainst to hold the curtain in desired position. The other arm, or one which extends inwardly along the slide 14, is pivotally connected to the end of a lever 20, fulcrumed flatwise upon the side of the bar 12, as at 24, and extending longitudinally thereof to its middle portion. At the said pivotal connection of the bell-crank lever 18 to the lever 20 one of said parts is slotted to receive the pivotal pin and permit freedom of movement, and below the said lever 20 is mounted upon the bottom bar 12 a leaf-spring 19, which normally presses the end of said lever 2O next the bell-crank lever 18 upward, and thus forces the brake into engagement, as above referred to.

It will be understood that there is a bellcrank lever 18 at, each opposite endof the bottom bar 12 of the curtain, each with a lever 2O extendinginward therefrom along said bar. The adjacent ends of said levers 20 are then at the middle of the bottom bar 12 slotted or forked to receive pins 25, projecting from a slide 21, working vertically or transversely of the bottom bar 12. Said slide preferably comprises a fiat piece of metal held to the bottom bar by a headed pin or screw 26,

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working in a slot 27 of the bar. The slide is provided with a finger-piece 28, and at a higher point on the bar 12 is a stationary projection 22, toward which the slide may be forced by pinching to operate the levers 20 and release the brakes 17 on the bell-cranks 18.

I have shown the above-described means to illustrate a form suitable for use in connection with my improved holding-strips 5 and do not wish to be understood as implying that other forms cannot be used therewith equally well.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new isy 1. The combination with a flexible curtain adapted to be rolled, of fiat holding-strips laid upon the lateral margins thereof, and secured thereto at their outer edges and being free at their inner edges,and stationary means adapted to hook over said inner edges and slidably engage the same.

2. The combination of a curtain, a fiat ilexiblel holding-strip laid flatwise upon the marlgin thereof and extending from top to bottom of the curtain, said strip being secured at its outer edge to the curtain and being free at its inner edge, and adapted to roll up with the curtain, and means for-hooking over said free inner edge.

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'riegos g metal strip laid along the margin and secured thereto at its outer edge, and means outside said curtain for hooking over the free inner edge of said strip.

4. The combination with a curtain, of fiat holding-strips laid upon the margins thereof and being iiexible iiatwise and rigid edgewise, said strips being secured at their outer edges to the curtain and being free at their inner edges and adapted to roll up with the curtain, and means for engaging said free inner 5. The combination with side posts 2, 2, and a curtain hung therebetween, of a run or slide way on each post having one edge returned inwardly, and fiat exible holding-strips upon the margins of the curtain and secured at their outer edges thereto and being free at their inner edges, the curtain being adapted to enter at its margins the said runs or slideways and the said strips to underlie at their i free edges the said returned edges of the runs or slideways-` 6. The combination with a curtain and side posts 2, 2, of a iiat flexible holdin g-strip extending along a margin of said curtain from top to `bottom and being secured thereto at its outer edge and being free at its inner edge, and a slideway of sheet metal or the like mounted on a side post and adapted to hook over the free inner edge of said holding-strip.

7. The combination with a curtain, of a flexible fiat sheet-metal` strip laid upon the margin of said curtain and secured at its outer edge to the curtain and being free at its inner edge, and adapted to roll up with the cur tain, and a stationary sheet-metal slideway adjacent to the edges of the curtain and having a returned edge adapted to hook over the said free inner edge ot` said strip.

8. The combination with side posts 2,2, and a roller mounted therebetween, of a curtain attached to said roller, iiat metal strips each constituting a normally coiled spring secured to said curtain along the side edges thereof, and means on the side posts for slidably engaging said strips.

9. The combination of a curtain of textile material, metal strips secured to the edges of said curtain, a bar across the bottom of said curtain, and slidable end sections on said bar to which the metal strips are fastened.

l0. The combination with a roller, a curtain mounted thereon and having at its margins a metal strip 5 secured thereto at its outer edge, and a runway having a returned edge portion adapted to hook under the inner edge of said strip, of a friction-Wheel stationed between said roller and the end of the runway and adapted to enter between the curtain-body and marginal strip.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of November, 1901.

' EDMUND H. DUCHEMIN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, C. B. PITNEY. 

